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Who will care when I am gone ?

'Who will care after I'm gone?'

19 November 2015, FitzRoy, 2015

While researching a previous report, a number of parents FitzRoy spoke to were so profoundly worried about what would happen to their son or daughter when they were no longer around to look after them, that they sometimes hoped their children would die before them. This sentiment had been heard before and it seems that this isn't unusual.

FitzRoy therefore decided to undertake this research with parents and the care professionals who support people with learning disabilities, to better understand the level of worry and anxiety that can lead parents to such a desperate point of view. A series of focus groups were held to hear from parents first-hand, and a survey was conducted with care professionals to get their perspective. A series of in-depth interviews were held with parents to capture their personal stories more fully.